The One And Only
by Ygraine
Summary: Severus learns of a life half forgotten when he starts Hogwarts. His mother taken ill unleashes more dark then Severus ever imangined could happen. During the rise of Voldemort.


The one and only  
  
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters in this story, nor the places and names that are mention yada yada yada.  
  
Author: Fading101  
  
Summary: Severus' life is dark and gloomy, his life at both Hogwarts and home are revealed, strange murmurs and rumours and who is Zanna?  
Chapter 1:  
  
The Replacement  
There were probably rats in this room.  
  
Severus didn't mind though. He sat there in the attic, alone. For the first time in what felt like ages he was finally alone. His brother Julius was being introduced to his father's boss. Severus wasn't. He was too young, and for the first time in his life Severus was glad of his youth.  
  
So alone he sat, in the attic reading a book not fit even for a seventh year Slytherin, when here he was. A ten-year-old boy not even enrolled at Hogwarts yet. Distantly he heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and so he quickly stood up to answer the door. There his father stood.  
  
"He want's to meet you." He proclaimed. "Go to your room, and change into your finest robes and. do something about your hair for Merlin's sake" his father was about to turn to go when he spied the book on the desk. "Oh, and Severus.bring that with you too."  
  
Severus bowed stiffly at the neck, and once the footsteps had gone he gathered up his book and walked down the wooden stairs to his small room. It was quite ridiculous really, having such a small room, he lived in a mansion and they're were plenty of larger rooms, but they were reserved for guests, who rarely came to Snape manor. His mother wasn't fit to host guests; also, his father was ashamed of Severus.  
  
Sighing he looked himself in the mirror, and half heatedly brought his long black hair at the nape of his neck. A girl's hair piece. Something he had found in a deserted room when he was eight, a small collection of hair decorations. At the time he thought it strange, he didn't have a sister and his mothers were much more ornate and expensive than the ones he had found.  
  
Shaking his head, he pulled out some robes, put them on and a velvet cloak. All black. He gave a small smile, as he looked himself in the mirror again, satisfied he picked his book back up and padded down the stairs to a living room. A room rarely used and only if guests were there. He knocked on the door, holding his breath and he heard his father call "Enter." Timidly Severus looked around the door before stepping in. Alongside his father was a man that Severus had never met before. He was tall and had black hair along with what looked like grey eyes, but Severus could never be sure.  
  
"Severus, isn't it?" The stranger asked, completely at ease in this strange house.  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
He stood up and circled Severus. "Tell me, how old are you?"  
  
"Ten sir, eleven in a week, I'll be starting school next month."  
  
"Really, I believe that, that crackpot old fool is now headmaster. Albus Dumbledore."  
  
"Yes sir, so I believe."  
  
"Yes, he taught to me transfiguration. Always wanted to know what I was doing. The old fool."  
  
Severus stood tall in front of this stranger, not wanting to anger him in what he thought. He too thought that Dumbledore was a fool but on the other hand the thing Severus had read and heard about him. He was meant to be the best Headmaster Hogwarts had ever had, he had greatly helped defeat Grindlewald twenty-five years ago.  
  
"You have created fine offspring Alessandro." The stranger said, "You my go." He addressed Severus. So bowing again, he left.  
  
~~~~~~~~  
Julius' leaving party was on the same day that Severus was to leave to Hogwarts, he felt a conspiracy coming on. But he had felt that for years. Not like he cared that he was missing a party. In fact he was glad all he would do was go and get drinks for all of the bigwigs at his father's work.  
  
He had just been left here, left to get on the platform all on his own. Sighing he was about to make the journey into the platform, when he stopped. There, around ten meters to his right was a lost looking girl. She had a trunk that had the initials LE on the front of it and on top of that there was a cat, a black moggy by the looks of it, in a cage.  
  
And then there was the girl herself. She had long red, not ginger like those infernal Weasley's but red like fire, she was wearing a green polo neck jumper and a red skirt along with black knee high boots. Muggle fashions, he never did understand them compared to a good pair of robes.  
  
She saw him looking at her and sighing walked over to him. "Ok, I know this is going to sound a pathetic question, but how on earth do you get onto Platform nine and three quarters?"  
  
Severus pointed to the ticket machine. "Through there, best to run if you're a bit scared. You going to Hogwarts too yes?"  
  
She nodded enthusiastically "Yes. Can't wait." And she was off explaining to him her entire life story by the sounds off if. No wonder muggleborns always seemed inferior to his father, the way they rambled on about nothing!  
  
Soon they found themselves on the train and pulling out of London and she was still talking. She was pretty though. Severus shook himself out of //that// thought. Muggleborns were untouchable a disgrace to the family if he were to court one. Then again, he already was a disgrace to his family for some reason.  
  
"I'm sorry. I completely forgot to introduce myself. Lily Marie Evans" she held out her hand.  
  
"Severus Ormand Snape." He shook her hand, and he felt like he was doing something forbidden. He wasn't allowed to fraternise with muggleborns let alone muggleborn girls.  
  
"Ormand?" She asked. Probably never heard it before.  
  
"Means serpent." Lily let out a giggle.  
  
"SOS." She muttered.  
  
"Yes, my parents obviously though that it would be amusing."  
  
"Save our souls!"  
  
Severus looked at his watch. Half eleven. He only prayed that someone of the likes of Lucius Malfoy didn't come to try and find him. He was definitely enjoying the company of Lily, she was so light hearted and open, when his life back at home was dark and serious.  
  
So the train ride to Hogwarts what one cold say an extremely enjoyable one. Severus found out quite a lot about his new friend Lily; she was a muggleborn girl who didn't know that all the strange 'freakish' stuff, that her sister so politely put it was actual magic. He older sister Petunia was now sixteen soon to be seventeen years old and didn't think much of her younger sister being a witch, her parents were proud of her but a bit apprehensive about sending their youngest to a school they had never heard off.  
  
In fact Severus was having such a peaceful train ride to Hogwarts he didn't once think about the life he had left behind. Not once. That was, until the sorting ceremony.  
  
He wasn't really paying attention to the singing hat, which he thought was extremely annoying and unnatural even in the wizarding world, or to the other pupils that were getting sorted. He did notice however that Lily was sorted into Gryffindor. His heart plummeted there was no way that he was going in //that// house. He had prayed that Lily would get sorted into Ravenclaw. Some Ravenclaws and Slytherins actually got on. The studious Slytherins that was, and relationships were not frowned upon. In fact Severus' Grandmother had been a Ravenclaw yet Father a Slytherin.  
  
However, that hope was now thrown away. He thought about his misfortune until The Depute Headmaster called out his name, Professor Byatt who was also head of the Slytherin house, he had taught Severus' father Ancient Runes, he was no doubt soon retirement age. In fact he would probably be gone within his first year.  
  
Severus sat on the stool and found the sorting hat on his head, and to he great shock and dismay, it spoke. A quiet little voice in this corner of his ear, similar to that of a devil there like in those stupid little muggle cartoons he used to try and watch as a child.  
  
//Ah// it said, Severus sighed. //This is an interesting, yes, I see a passion for dark arts and any thing that is forbidden, but courage// Severus flinched at that, the mark of a Gryffindor. //but not recklessly so. Hmmm, studious, but only in things that you care about. Better be SLYTHERIN!//  
  
Severus sighed of relief but was scared of his newly form relationship with Lily would form into.  
  
~~~~~~~  
Luckily not it was not bad at all. In fact after the first day of school Lily came up to him when he was in the library asking for some help. She had just had her first charms lesson and said that even though she had greatly enjoyed it she said that she just wasn't too sure on the fundamentals of it.  
  
A complete lie.  
  
Lily was a natural at charms and by the end of the session it was her that ended up teaching Severus the ropes. A highly embarrassing thing. Lily later admitted that the only reason why she did that was so that she could speak to him.  
  
Severus didn't hate Gryffindors, he later found out. Lily was one, and she was nice and respectful, even cunning at times, he did tell her that he would have to at least pretend to hate the Gryffindors and she understood that.  
  
His pretend game was over before it had even begun.  
  
Also he had decided that the sorting hat was dreadfully wrong. Lily did not belong there she belonged in Slytherin, with him. He had met James Potter and his merry men.  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
It started in potions class. One of a few classes that Severus was actually looking forward to. Their Professor was another ageing man called Professor Reeves and he was the head of Gryffindor house. In fact as soon as the students had sat down he stood them up again and moved them. He said it was to try and stop house rivalry at an early age, Slytherin, Gryffindor. Each sat down next to another. Severus was stuck with Potter and Lily was with McNair, and annoying boy whom seemed by it to like killing bugs as far as Severus new.  
  
Potter, he had heard of that name, but couldn't place where from, he had a blurry image of them favouring muggles and muggleborns. He had jet-black messy hair with glasses covering a pair of silvery grey eyes that looked almost as if they could have belonged to a Malfoy, he wondered breifly if their families could be related, but stopped quickly when he realised the absurdity of it.  
  
Their potion was simple which Severus was able to complete easily, one to cure boils. In fact he could have done it with his eyes closed. Potter however was having problems. He had almost made the common and yet so easily avoided mistake of putting the porcupine quills in before the potion reached the boil, if Severus had not been there to stop him it would have made disastrous effects mainly the cauldron turning into a great blob.  
  
"Oh, thanks." Potter said  
  
"Hey." Said a voice behind him, Severus turned around and met ice blue eyes of Sirius Black, Severus remembered him from their sorting. "Your Snape aren't you."  
  
"Yes, your point being?"  
  
"Hmmm."  
  
"Yes?" Severus asked again.  
  
"Oh nothing, nothing just curious, hey sorry about the whole thing a few years back, it's awful that your folks did that..."  
  
"Snape! Turn around!" Reeves yelled. Severus did so rather quickly. "Five points from Slytherin for talking. Now get back to work."  
  
Black remained unpunished. No house rivalries? The lying scoundrel, somehow Severus had an urge to avenge that in future years.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
Days faded into weeks, and weeks into months. And sooner than Severus had hoped, Christmas had come. He had received a letter telling him that they would like him at home. Severus had scribbled some reply that he had to use the library for some project that needed handed in first week of term. He hadn't got a reply.  
  
But that left Severus with nothing to do. Most of the school were going home, parents wanting children at home especially because of dark rising that were going on. Only a few students remained. Two of them were he and Lily. The others were a third year boy called Frank in Gryffindor a Ravenclaw and a couple of Hufflepuffs.  
  
Severus spent most of his time up in Gryffindor tower, Longbottom, spent most of his time in the library any way so it didn't matter. But the long hours spent there were becoming dull and boring, nothing to do except criticise the décor and the view of the lake from the window.  
  
But there was no where else for them to go except the library, where he had to pretend to be tutoring her. He wanted to be her friend during the holidays not her teacher. So this is where they were, Gryffindor tower, he'd be the envy of his Slytherin friends if they found out he knew where it was. All he and Lily did was sit and play chess, lily winning over him spectacularly. He was never too good at chess. His brother was though. He had often tried to teach Severus but could never have the patience to teach the boy fifteen years his junior. It didn't matter. Julius was good at every thing. He was the handsome one, the intelligent one.  
  
Severus was intelligent but he was no means beautiful, and the only reason why he got so clever was because he has stolen all of his brothers school books and started reading them at the age of eight. But Julius was all of these things without even trying. He was what Severus had thought for so many years as the favourite. But then he realised that his older brother wasn't. It was some one else.  
  
This had greatly confused Severus at a young age. Overhearing parents conversation as well as among their friends, speaking of a 'her' as though speaking about Julius, or even Severus. Whenever people met Severus, saying that they were sorry about what had happened a few years back, as though there was something that he was meant to know. When his parent had introduced Severus when he was young to people in the ministry, them nodding and saying, "The replacement?"  
  
His parents had stopped doing this after a while. It seemed too get too much for them, and Severus didn't even know what it was. So he had done some research on his own. And what he had found greatly disturbed him, so much he rarely even thought about it. It was only when he had met Lily did it all fill his brain again.  
  
~~~~~~~  
Christmas had been a joyous affair. Falling asleep on the couch in Gryffindor tower, to be awoken by Lily trying to remind him that she hadn't sneaked into the boys' dormitory. Severus could never make head or tail out of things in the morning. And of course there was the Christmas lunch. He had heard lots of things about this from his brother trying to make Severus jealous. But it was over too quickly and the rest of the school had cam e back.  
  
Only a couple of weeks into the new term did Severus long for a holiday again. The January snow was getting to him. It always did. But it was also getting to someone else.  
  
He had received a disturbing letter from his father earlier in the day. He decided not to dwell too much in it. But it meant that Severus would have to return home if only for a brief period of time. His mother had suffered from severe depression from before Severus was born. His father had hoped that perhaps another child in the house would have helped her, (his mother had been apparently a very maternal girl.) but it had done more harm than good, and now people blamed Severus for it. Especially his mother.  
  
But now she was getting worse. The last thing that Severus wanted to do was return to Yorkshire and explain that he was sorry that his mother was going to have to be committed but he really needed to get on with his studies. But that was what his father had requested,. And only a fool would disapprove Alessandro Snape.  
  
The train ride was a long journey. Lily had offered to go down with him as she lived in Yorkshire too. And she could also visit her parents. Bu she also needed to do work and Severus wanted to be on his own for a couple of days.  
  
He was met from the train at the small village station. The village was so small, wizards just used the same station as the muggles. No one minded as so few wizards lived in the area. They just thought that the family who lived int the top of the hill where a bit strange. There his father stood without saying a word Severus climbed into the back of the car.  
  
Immediately he was taken up to his mothers room. She looked as though she was doomed to die any minute. But she wasn't dying. Merely.going. It was a strange concept to grasp. His mother was so depressed she was going insane. What had made her so? Severus knew of course.  
  
"It's Severus dear. He's come to visit you." His father told her.  
  
"Severus? Why didn't you come at Christmas?"  
  
"I told you mother. I had to use the library. I'm here now though."  
  
"Yes yes here now. Not when it matters of course. Christmas is a time for family. Not like you were ever a part of it. Up in your room all day reading your books." Severus bowed his head. "You were never good enough. Still aren't"  
  
"Lucinda dear." His father tried to reason.  
  
"No, not as good as our Zanna!"  
End of chapter 1---------  
  
TBC.  
  
A/N: Please review. I won't continue unless I get a decent number of reviews!!!  
  
Also.  
  
Ormand is a German name and means Serpent.  
  
Julius is a roman emperor. (Julius Caesar.) But I'm guessing that you all //Knew// that.  
  
Severus is also a Roman Emperor, and thought that maybe his family would carry on a tradition with names. (My family does. I have the boring family name and both my brother and me have middle names from the Arthurian Legend.)  
  
As for Zanna? That means Lily in Latin. My apologies as I can't be certain how it is pronounced. If you do know please contact me as I'm eager to know.  
  
Fading101. 


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